The Changing World Of Latin Jazz

Chris Botti - When many people think of Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes up, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is certainly one aspect with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people on the party area for a long time with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a spot in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing quantity of artists have abandoned the dance floor for several cultural and artistic influences. These days, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum of the Caribbean and South usa, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Edm - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part in the expansion of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles like the festejo and landó into the style too a more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has developed a distinctive approach along with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's only been that artists have put a distinct emphasis upon the thought of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez has utilized his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs being a foundation for jazz.

Argentina has always been noted for it's passionate tango, and lots of musicians have found this music is a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has built a unique language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the work of influential composer Astor Piazzolla with a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often look at the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim when they think about the blend of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, however the style has grown into something much more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has built upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and developed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a fresh York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Jazz - The party area is certainly still an integral part of Latin Jazz - just hear the background music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo to get a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a far more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and providing listeners a more diverse experience.